"ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY" REVIEW

I predict that some audiences will be more blown away by “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” than they were with ‘The Force Awakens’. While Episode VII felt like an updated version of ‘A New Hope’, “Rogue One” feels like something entirely new for the Star Wars movies. FINALLY! We have a Star Wars movie that actually feels like a war movie. It’s also the first Star Wars film to not focus on the Jedi, Sith, or the Skywalker family. This is Lucasfim and Disney’s little experiment to see if movie-going audiences are willing to see more Star Wars stories in-between the saga films and maybe even beyond those. So what’s the deal here? Does the movie live up to the hype? Is it worth Disney’s $4 billion purchase of Lucasfilm? Will our ragtag team of Rebels be able to steal the plans to the Death Star? Let’s find out! 

THE GOOD:
The good news! “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” is easily the best Star Wars prequel ever.  Also, the best Star Wars spin-off movie if you count the CGI ‘Clone Wars’ movie and “The Ewok Adventures”. Forget everything you knew from the old cannon. Disney is completely re-writing the history of the construction of the Death Star and the mission to steal the Death Star plans. I would say that is for the better because this movie is totally worth washing away decades of expanded material. I know that sounds like blasphemy but it’s true! (Sorry, Mara Jade!) This isn’t just a movie; it’s a Star Wars experience! “Rogue One” is set just moment before ‘A New Hope’ and aesthetically the film looks like it came straight out of 1977. Everything from the sets, wardrobe, and technology used by the Rebellion and Imperial armies look like it’s from the original trilogy. In some cases, they might even look dirtier and grimier than they did in Episodes IV through VI. We’ve never seen such a gritty side to the Rebel alliance before. They almost seem like galactic terrorists instead of the freedom fighters we’ve perceived them to be in the originals. The action sequences are heavy on the CGI but that doesn’t change the true grit of these aerial dog fights, back alley brawls, and beach storming scenes. Don’t even get me started on the film’s final third act and the actual heist of the Death Star plans. We all knew it was coming and it’s why we’re even watching this movie and damn is it nothing but exciting and heart-wrenching from that point onward. Jyn Erso, Saw Gerrera, Chirrut Imwe, and K-2SO are the real standout characters of the film. Forget C-3PO, R2-D2, and BB-8! Get me an action figure of K-2SO because he steals the show. Imagine all the sass of C-3PO but remove the posh and replace it with unfiltered honesty. He’s probably one of my favorite new additions to Star Wars cannon in recent years. I highly recommend getting a group of your closest friends, finding the largest screen in your local area, and watching “Rogue One” all together. Treat yourself because this is the environment you want to surround yourself in while enjoying a Star Wars movie.

THE BAD:
I love this film but it’s not without flaws. After thinking about it for awhile, I do have some minor gripes and complaints. I didn’t notice this until my fiancé pointed it out but I can’t remember a majority of the character’s names. Well the new characters anyway. Names like Chirrut Imwe and Baze Malbus are not very memorable at all. Jyn Erso and Galen Erso are names that even kids on the playground will be able to remember because they’re said every five minutes in the movie but everyone else is largely ignored. I can see why the filmmakers chose to give the main cast such throwaway names though. These characters are literally in the background of the Star Wars universe and Star Wars has a history are giving silly, ridiculous names to their background characters. Real names like Luke and Ben are reserved for the important characters! Another complaint comes from the first act of the movie. We spend about 30 minutes introducing our 6 main cast members in a disjointed mess. Probably a result of the re-shoots but the movie doesn’t start getting legs until we actually land oh Jedha. Cassian Andor A.K.A. Mexican Han Solo (I’m calling him that because he is literally a Mexican version of Han Solo and I’m Mexican so I can say stuff like that) isn’t very interesting as a lead character. All of his traits are stolen wholesale from Han Solo. I also had a problem with Jyn Erso. I didn't hate her but she's just not as likable as Leia or Rey. I'm excited to see what happens to Rey in Episode VIII but I didn't feel anything for Jyn until the very end of this movie. The score for the film isn’t terribly great. It sounds like it’s trying to be the original John Williams score and evoke the feeling of Star Wars but it’s not on the same level. Certain actors and characters are brought to life (or brought back to life) using CGI and while we are getting closer to perfecting this technology it still can’t get passed the uncanny valley yet. I couldn’t really tell you more without getting into spoilers.

THE SPOILERS:
SPOILERS AHEAD! Don’t read any further if you haven’t seen the movie yet (or keep reading if you don’t care about spoilers). Here we go… THE DEATH STAR EXPLODES!!! Not in this movie though. This whole movie is a lead-up to ‘A New Hope’ and literally ends with Princess Leia flying away in the Tantive IV. The CGI face of young Carrie Fisher over the face of an actual actress but it is still Princess Leia. Peter Cushing’s Grand Moff Tarkin is also brought back using this technology. Cushing passed away more than two decades away but thanks to some computer wizardry his character is back and has even more screen time than in ‘A New Hope’. Like I said, the technology isn’t perfect but we’re getting there. It was better (and far less distracting) than trying to pass off another actor as Tarkin. Speaking of Tarkin, Darth Vader is back as well and he makes the most epic cameo in the movie. TWICE! For the first time in cinematic history we get to see Vader’s castle on Mustafar! The fortress set up the atmosphere perfectly for Darth Vader’s introduction. He even gets to choke out an Imperial officer for his insolence. Feels like the good ‘ol days, right? You can say goodbye to the prequels Vader crying out “NOOOOOO!” at the end of ‘Revenge of the Sith’. O.G. VADER IS BACK!!! At one point, we get a glimpse of Vader in a bacta tank and even that is frightening. If you’re a fan of hallway fight scenes then you’ll love Darth Vader’s second appearance. I can’t even call it a fight scene because it’s more like a massacre. It’s a dark and scary moment where Vader is using noting more than the force and his lightsaber to mow down helpless Rebels in a moment that you wish could be in the prequels. That scene only is worth a second viewing in theaters Sadly, Darth Vader couldn't be anywhere near that beach scene at the end of the movie. HE HATES SAND! It's coarse! It's rough and irritating! And it gets everywhere! [Side-note: I really wish that Disney would let Lucasfilm release a standalone R-rated Darth Vader movie. He's already considered a horror icon by some fans and his last scene in "Rogue One" demonstrates that. He could easily carry an entire film by hunting down surviving Jedi or rebellious factions.] Back on track, we get some neat cameos from C-3PO & R2-D2 and the “I don’t’ like you either” guy shows up with his Walrus Man friend. There are loads of references to the expanded universe with mentions of kyber crystals and Jedha and plenty of foreshadowing for character who will be in Episode IV. Our main cast on the other hand… they won’t be in Episode IV. Heck, they won’t even be in Rogue Two. Each member of the Rogue One squadron dies a tragic and heartbreaking death. (Take that all you internet theorist who thought this movie was going to tie-in with the sequel trilogy!) You had a feeling that these characters weren’t going to make it out alive at the end of their mission since they don’t appear in the original trilogy but you still had hope. The ending to ‘Empire’ was bleak but this ending is so much darker in tone. After our “heroes” succeed in their mission they still meet an unfortunate fate at the hands of the Empire. Their roles in the Star Wars universe were small but the impact that had on the Rebellion is massive. Jyn Erso, Cassian Andor, K-2SO, and the others are the most unlikely Star Wars heroes since a farm boy, a smuggler, a princess, and two droids… or is it the other way around? Prequels are always so confusing!

FINAL VERDICT:
In the terms of ranking the Star Wars movies (IMO), “Rogue One” places somewhere above ‘Return of the Jedi’ but just below ‘The Empire Strikes Back’. Only time will tell if I’ll personally enjoy this film more than ‘A New Hope’ or ‘The Force Awakens’. It’s more than just a placeholder until Episode VIII comes out next holiday season. “Rogue One” is not a saga film but it definitely sets the bar very high for Episodes VIII & IX. It’s lifted my hopes for 2018’s Han Solo movie and any other Star Wars spin-offs Disney is planning to release from now until the end of time. Don’t wait miss your chance to see “Rogue One” in theaters because this is one not to be missed!